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About me
I am a Zimbabwean raised by courageous parents, driven to always tell the truth and strive to earn my standing in the world. Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) at University Currently Known As Rhodes (UCKAR) taught students the responsibility of the journalist to people and reoriented my view of the community in Makhanda.
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The classroom experience has grounded my theoretical understanding of journalism. My first steps into the ‘field’ taught me that this understanding needed to be applied in the ‘real’ world, beyond the university setting. Addressing things head-on, on the ground, the only source of truth in a twisted media world.
So expect an engaged citizen that does not follow the mainstream narrative; conducting journalism in search of truth in our African context. A Zimbabwean who loves the continent.
THE WORK OF TRISTAN COOKE
Journalist Portfolio
The focus of my work is situated in education and service-learning. Driving solutions with communities has allowed for an enriched learning experience with the people of Makhanda. In understanding a critical pedagogy of place, and grappling with the issues faced by Makhandians, my work aims to raise the discourse taking place in communities that lie outside of the “mainstream” media narrative.
Protest action in 2021 took place in two contexts in Makhanda, first was the national universities shutdown in March, followed by the Makhanda shutdown protests that took place in May 2021. Engage in shorthand multimedia stories and photography that offer a range of first-hand perspectives on the events that occurred.
In Julian Jacobs’ Strategic Communications course Naledi Chounyane, Aphiwe Myoli, Maxine Ndudzo, Tadiwa Rusike and I worked as a collective for the Makhanda Circle of Unity (MCU). The MCU is a non-political organisation supported by various stakeholders across the city. The collective works with their finger on the city's pulse contributing resources toward the issues faced in Makhanda.